2 February 2024

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was established in 1949 to assist Palestinian refugees displaced during Israel's War of Independence. This included both Jewish and Arab refugees.

Jewish refugees were absorbed in Israel or third states like the USA. 

Arab Palestinian refugees, in contrast, have been held as pawns in the UNRWA system. Almost 75 years later, the original number of about 700,000 Arab Palestinian refugees in the 1948-1949 War of Independence has expanded to over 5 million – because under the UNRWA system, descendants of the original refugees also qualify as “refugees”.

This is the only refugee group in the world where refugee status is hereditary and the host state is not obliged to provide asylum. The Palestinians are being kept hostage in this regime, with a false hope that they will one day be able to “return” to Israel. 

75 years later, UNRWA continues its operations in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. UNRWA has become a fundamental pillar of Palestinian society, providing education and humanitarian relief. 

UNRWA is entirely dependent on foreign aid. It has an annual budget of around $1 billion. Most is provided by Western countries - especially the United States and the European Union, which have collectively contributed over $1 billion to UNRWA since 2021. 

It has become clear that the agency has provided cover for terrorist activity and educated Palestinians to hate the Jewish people and destroy the Jewish State of Israel. UNRWA has thus been a major contributor to perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In Gaza, UNRWA has been infiltrated by Hamas. According to the Wall Street Journal, up to 10% of UNRWA’s 12,000 employees in Gaza are connected with Hamas. Dozens of UNRWA employees were involved in the massacre of Israelis on 7^th October 2023.  

These revelations have led an increasing number of states to freeze their funding of UNRWA pending an independent investigation. Many believe it is time to dismantle the UNRWA system and find a new system to give the Palestinians independence while ensuring Israeli security and promoting reconciliation and cooperation. 
 
It is time to rescue the Palestinian “refugees” from the UN.

UNRWA exists to help fight the war to eradicate Israel
Jonathan Tobin at JNS: “The revelation of ties between the U.N. aid agency and Hamas is a small part of the problem. The real issue is the purpose of the institution, which has always been to perpetuate the conflict.”

Guterres seeks boost in UNRWA funding amid ‘deteriorating situation’ 
JNS reports: “Member states have been supportive of my proposals,” including “increasing funding for core activities of UNRWA,” the U.N. secretary-general writes in an alarm-sounding budget notice.